Giro Introduces the Latch Flat-Pedal Shoe
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Whenever a new flat-pedal shoe is released by any brand other than Five Ten, there’s an unspoken acknowledgement of how much catching-up there is to do. There is usually a resetting of approach or a rethinking of technology. New materials and new concepts that promise to win over the riders that, up until a few years ago, had no reason to look anywhere but Five Ten. Today Giro may be giving us one more reason. The Giro Latch may look on the outside like any other skate-inspired lace-up flat-pedal shoe, but inside, Giro has introduced a unique way to get the impact-damping qualities of the market’s top platform platforms.
Inside the midsole is a material Giro is calling “Mute” foam. This approach takes the slow-rebound characteristics of Five Ten’s Stealth Rubber and makes it a more structural member of the shoe. It’s also a remarkably lightweight way to get things done, with the Latch shoes claiming an average 100-gram weight savings over its previous flat-pedal models. A size 43 men’s Latch weighs 343 grams and a women’s 39 a claimed 300 grams.
Of course, what’s outside counts too, and Giro uses its own Tack rubber cocktail. Elastic but durable, and all the rest, Tack rubber boasts a more tactile, less numb approach with its goal of allowing some slight wrap over the pedal for better feel and more grip. But not too much grip. Giro’s tread pattern features somewhat more widely spaced lugs with chamfered edges to allow for re-adjustment of foot position.
And inside the shoe, the foot itself also got some attention, with a wider toebox and more room for the foot to spread out under load. More comfort, less fatigue and better ride feel. This is featured on all sizes of the Latch, and in both its men’s and women’s versions, which use the same foot-form. So guys, if you agree with us that (as is often the case) the women’s colors are pretty rad, you may find one that fits. Women’s Latches are available in size 36 to 43 and men’s in sizes 39 to 50. They’re $150 and are available now.
